Scratchbuilt Pump Wagons

Scratch-built snotling pump wagons (‘pumpidoodies’)

As seen in the autumn 2401 ‘The Little Waagh!’ battle report’

First I stuck together several bits of plastic strip, black milliput (stubborn finger dye!), balsa wood, lollipop sticks, Ogre weapons, orc spear tips etc …

Undercoated and with the big wheels in place, it started to look like something …

I loved the idea of a spiky roller. Not in a ‘Saw III’ (or whatever) sense, in a crazy goblin ‘Labyrinth’ sense.

Here is a pic to show the ‘workings’. I do get the idea of pump handles/belts etc to drive the wheels and roller, but how they actually function is beyond me. Some sort of ratcheted gears or some like? I didn’t let it bother me.

Here’s the ‘inventor’ of the machine – or at least he claims to be, and his wee mates believe him. He’s so clever he now wears wizardly robes, and he is so proud he feels it is quite permissible to stick a finger up at anyone.

Here the base is done, though it is very basic (like all my bases), ready for battle. The snotling crew have painted crude skulls hither and thither upon its frame to count up their ‘kills’. The score is inaccurate – they can’t really count that high so this is an underestimate. (This bit of background is wishful thinking on my behalf!)

Having completed my first wagon, I embarked upon a second of a completely different design. (I really don’t see snotlings using the same design twice.)
Here the bits were being glued together – notice Ogre man-trap bits (hands removed) for the ‘spiky roller’ equivalent. Not so much ‘spiky roller’ as ‘snappy spiker’! As ever, shields provide the smaller wheels.

The bits coming together nicely …

Here undercoated and glued after any inward facing bits have been painted …

This is the almost painted model, base yet to be done and snotling crew yet to be added.

Unlike my previous one, this has a big wheel at the front, and a high up pumping handle rather than one in the ‘body’ of the engine. There are two belts, but this time both are involved in turning the wheel. The ‘snappy spiker’ part doesn’t need a belt, just a very brave snotling or two to re-set!

Now for the completed pics. Like their mates on the first machine, these guys are trying to record their kills …

Here you can see how helpful these little fellers are to each other, one of them assisting the other up the ladder. Aww bless! (Mind you, he has no legs!)